Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool ‘had no idea’ how Brighton would perform in 3-3 draw

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that it was hard for his side to prepare for Saturday’s clash with Brighton as this was their first game under Roberto De Zerbi.

The Seagulls earned a well-deserved point after drawing 3-3 at Anfield on the Italian coach’s Premier League debut.

Leandro Trossard hit a first-half brace before a double from Roberto Firmino brought the Reds level. An own goal from Adam Webster after Robert Sanchez failed to claim a corner saw the hosts take the lead.

But the in-form Trossard was on hand to find a late equaliser, firing into the top corner in front of the Kop.

Speaking post-match, Klopp revealed that he his and staff struggled to prepare for the game as they did not know how De Zerbi would set Brighton out.

“Brighton set up in a really brave way,” Klopp began. “3-4-3, the four midfielders in the box, two tens, two sixes…we couldn’t really prepare for it because we had no idea what they would do.

“But that’s very often in football the case. You have solutions for situations but before we had the solution we were already 1-0 down, and that changed the momentum extremely.

“They felt like they were flying and we felt, ‘OK, that’s this rubbish start again’. That’s what you could see.

“But again, we fought back in a game and that’s a positive. It doesn’t feel in the moment positive, but it is. We have to accept the point.”

Liverpool have now picked up just ten points from their opening seven games, and while Klopp tried to fan the flames of a crisis, he insisted that they do have some ‘football problems’.

“We felt like we lost, I know we didn’t lose but that’s it,” he added.

“We don’t have to make it bigger [an issue]. We have football problems, nothing else. Football problems you usually solve with football. It’s what we have to do.”